Blading in Time
by Kyelor
Summary: Upon discovering that Biovolt intends to use time travel in order to prevent the Bladebreakers from ever forming a team, Tyson, Kai, Max and Ray are determined to rescue their 7 year old selves by traveling 6 years into the past.
1. Time for a Change

2007 update version: It's been an almost 4 year hiatus since I updated this fic, so I am going to edit some of the older chapters as well as add some new ones! All original author notes from 2003 will still be displayed. The main changes I have made to this chapter include the addition of a brief plot synopsis as well as improving the dialogue and overall fluency.

Plot synopsis: The main storyline takes place about a month after the events of Beyblade season one. Contrary to everyone's belief that Biovolt became defunct after the world championships in Russia, Emily of the All Stars discovers that they are indeed, still actively working towards world domination. In particular, Biovolt intends to employ time travel technology to prevent the Bladebreakers from ever forming a team! With the help of Judy Mizuhara, some new friends, and a mysterious blue bit beast, the Bladebreakers must travel six years into the past in order rescue Tyson, Max, Ray and Kai. . . their seven-year old selves!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. I only own this little fanfic…

Hey all! This is my first fanfic ever, so I hope you'll enjoy it! Please read and review!

* * *

Chapter 1-Time for a Change

* * *

It had only been a week after the Bladebreakers had emerged victorious from the world championships in Russia. Voltaire was in his office, silently brooding over how his superior Biovolt technology and the genetically improved Demolition Boys could have been overtaken by such a seemingly amateur team of bladers. However, he was still adamant, and had no intention of giving up his plans for world domination just yet…

Gazing through his office window, Voltaire attempted to make sense of the events that had surpassed just a short time ago.

"How could this be? My superior bit beasts . . . my carefully implemented technology . . . my plans! All foiled by those incompetent Bladebreakers! I won't stand for this – this outrage!" He slammed a fist against his desk as he heard a knock on his door. Boris entered the room, smirking as he apprehensively approached Voltaire.

"Master Voltaire, sir, I-"

"What is it, Boris?"

"I believe I have found a way we may get revenge on the Bladebreakers."

"Hmph. As if you would! And what makes you so sure? You've tried my patience enough times for me to be able to figure out that you're not-"

"Sir, this is important!" Boris interjected, urgency brimming in his voice. "This proposition that I'm about to make is completely infallible!"

"Insolence! You dare interrupt your master? I ought to-"

Voltaire paused, surprised by Boris's sudden conviction. Could he really be so confident in this new plan? However, Voltaire still found it highly unlikely that Boris would ever be able to think up of something to thwart the Bladebreakers. After all, he had tried, and failed so many times already. However, although Voltaire was not quite ready to concede to it, he was curious about what Boris was plotting, and was already wondering about what it could possibly be. 'Maybe I should let him explain himself,' Voltaire thought.

Boris looked to Voltaire. He seemed pensive and deep in thought. 'Well, maybe I can explain my new proposition now that he's not shouting at me any more,' thought Boris.

"Master Voltaire, I believe we may get revenge on the Bladebreakers if we can prevent them from ever forming a team." Voltaire looked shocked at first, then let out a chuckle.

"Hahaha…and how might we be capable of doing that?" Voltaire remarked sarcastically.

"Time travel, of course. The remaining members of Biovolt are currently working on that in our research and development department at this very moment. I'm thinking that if we can travel back in time and somehow prevent the Bladebreakers from ever meeting up, maybe Biovolt would be ruling the world as we know it right now."

Voltaire couldn't decide whether he should burst out laughing or talk some sense into Boris for such a crazy proposition. Time travel? It was the most ludicrous idea he had ever heard! But with Biovolt's technology, such an improbable concept might indeed become probable after all. Voltaire pondered some more, then dismissed Boris from his office, telling him to keep him updated on the time travel developments. Perhaps this time, Boris was onto something that could get rid of the Bladebreakers once and for all.

* * *

A few weeks later, on the other side of the world, the Bladebreakers were hanging out with the All Stars and Max's mom in her laboratory in America. For the past little while, they had been staying at a nearby hotel so that they could spend some time together before returning to their homes, as they were no longer a team. Tyson and Max would often explore the city together, scoping out parks where they could catch some amateur blading action. Ray usually went shopping and sightseeing while Kai went off on his own…somewhere. For the moment, everyone was at the lab where Max's mom and Emily had been trying to find out what had become of Biovolt and Voltaire. They were unsure of whether or not they still posed a threat.

"Man, this is taking forever! Kenny, I'd better not be missing lunch for this!"

"Be patient, Tyson! Biovolt may seem like it's been put out of business, but we have to make sure that this is the case, or they could make a comeback and perhaps succeed with their original plans for world domination!"

"A few more _minutes? _Do you have any idea how _long _. . . "

While Tyson and Kenny were arguing over the importance of finding out whether or not Biovolt was up to anything, Max and his mom were on the other side of the room, discussing the probability of Biovolt being able to strike back this soon after they had been defeated at the world championships. Ray was chatting with Michael in another corner while Kai was leaning against a wall, arms crossed and seemingly deep in thought. Emily was becoming impatient with Tyson's whining, so she decided to cut in.

"Oh Tyson, give it a rest. Missing one meal of the day isn't going to kill you, but a surprise attack from Biovolt could very well finish the job. So shut up and-"

"Don't worry, Emily! I can keep Tyson busy!" Max walked over to the center of the room where Tyson, Kenny and Emily were arguing, smiling cheerfully as he approached them. "Just leave it to me!"

Emily and Kenny stood there dumbstruck, unsure of what Max was about to do. "Hey Tyson! Why don't we do something else while we leave Emily and Kenny to their researching?"

"Sounds good, Max! How about a beybattle?" Tyson smirked at his friend.

"You're on!"

Tyson and Max walked over to the beystadium in the next room. This beystadium in particular was unique to the lab as it could record and analyze data on the competitors as they battled. It could also change form so that the All Stars were able to train for a variety of different situations. For now, Tyson and Max decided to leave it as is so that they could have a normal match without any quirks. While Tyson pulled Dragoon out from his pocket, Max threaded his ripcord through his launcher. They stood on opposite sides of the dish as they readied their blades. Max placed Draciel onto his launcher as Tyson followed suit.

"You ready, Tyson?"

"Yeah, ready when you are!"

"Haha. . . okay!"

"3. . . 2. . . 1. . . LET IT RIP!" they shouted in unison. Max's green beyblade took its place in the center of the dish while Tyson's white blade circled around it, ready to attack. It attempted to slam the green blade a few times, but Max managed to evade Tyson's every move.

"Hehe. . . not bad, Maxy!"

"Don't get too cocky, Tyson! World champion or not, you should always stand your ground!"

Tyson's blade made a quick swerve toward Max's once more while the green beyblade remained in the center of dish, spinning in its characteristic defensive position.

"Dragoon! Phantom hurricane attack!"

"Draciel, defense!"

The bit in Tyson's blade gave off a brilliant flash as it created a whirlwind that engulfed the entire beystadium. The bit in Max's blade was glowing as well, emanating a protective barrier. Dragoon and Draciel emerged, charging toward each other. As the white beyblade collided with the green one, Draciel blocked the hit, causing Dragoon to be thrown back in recoil. The white beyblade was propelled high into the air by its own attack while the green beyblade maintained a steady spin, readying for a counterattack. As Tyson's blade was falling uncontrollably, Max's blade smashed it upward again, sending it clear out of the dish. Tyson's blade landed at his feet with its attack ring chipped.

"What? How could I lose?"

"Nice try Tyson, but you shouldn't have let your guard down, hmm?""Darn…well, maybe I was just going easy on you. You'd better look out Max, 'cause next time you might not be so lucky!"

"Haha. . . whatever you say Tyson."

"Hey you guys!" Kenny yelled. "Get over here, quick!"

Tyson and Max returned to the lab where everyone was crowded around Emily's computer. They made their way towards them as they were curious to see what all the fuss was about. Apparently, Emily had succeeded in intercepting an e-mail from someone working in Biovolt. As everyone was staring intently at the screen, Emily opened the e-mail for all to see.

* * *

How was that first chapter? Please review and tell me what you think! 


	2. Keeping Up with the Times

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters, nor do I own McDonald's or any of its related paraphernalia. I only own this little fanfic . . . plus any original characters I may soon be adding, like Amy and Erika!  
  
Hope everyone enjoyed my first chapter! Don't worry, things will get more exciting later on in the story! A big thank you to everyone who reviewed, it's really encouraging!  
  
Flaller: I'm glad you like it so far! For a second there, I thought people would get bored to death from reading my first chapter!  
  
Isa Koliki: Yeah, lil' Maxie's the best, isn't he? He's my fave beyblade character!  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chapter Two-Keeping up with the Times  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Everyone watched in anticipation as Emily opened up the e-mail for all to see.  
  
"No way!" said Max in disbelief.  
  
"I thought we had put them away for good when we defeated the Demolition Boys!" Ray replied.  
  
"Hmph . . . these guys just don't know when to quit" Kai muttered.  
  
The e-mail read 'Master Voltaire, our time travel developments are currently underway. Within two weeks, we will be able to use this new innovation to have our revenge on the Bladebreakers, putting them out of commission for good this time! Signed, Boris.' For a few minutes, everyone crowding around the computer just looked on in shock as they read the e- mail over again to themselves. So Biovolt still had some tricks up their sleeve after all.  
  
"Time travel developments," said Emily aloud. "This e-mail does not provide much information as to how they intend to use time travel to get back at the Bladebreakers, but if we're going to prevent them from succeeding, I believe our only option is to somehow develop some time hopping technology of our own with which we can counter their plans!"  
  
"We only have two weeks though, according to the e-mail. We'll have to start researching from scratch, as we haven't really dealt with time technology here before," Max's mom said doubtfully. "I'm afraid that by the time we actually manage to develop our findings into working time travel techniques, Biovolt will have already succeeded in their plans to have revenge on the Bladebreakers and may be dominating the world as we know it!" Emily looked worried for a second, but quickly changed her expression into one of urgency.  
  
"In that case, we must begin our research immediately. Kenny, stay here with us and help research. Bladebreakers, you're all dismissed."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
A 15 year old Chinese girl sat under a tree, assembling a beyblade. She appeared to be having trouble putting the pieces together as they kept slipping out of place.  
  
"Hey Erika, hurry up!" shouted a girl's voice from the top of the tree.  
  
"Yeah Amy, I just need to get my beyblade together!"  
  
The face of Erika's watch glinted in the sunlight as she struggled to piece her beyblade together. Amy and Erika were fairly new to the sport of beyblading and had only purchased their first beyblades a week ago after watching the Bladebreakers win the world championships on television. Inspired by their courage and skill, Amy and Erika decided to get beyblades of their own and try their hand at the sport. Neither of them were too good at it, but it was fun for them to beybattle and modify their blades, so they continued.  
  
"Geez Erika, you're such a klutz! Here, let me help you," sighed Amy.  
  
"Errr . . . thanks, Amy" said Erika.  
  
It took them a few minutes and they had to retrieve the attack ring and weight disk a few times when they flew out of their grasp; but finally, Erika inserted the bit chip, relieved that the ordeal of putting her beyblade together was over.  
  
"Ready to catch some beybattle action?" said Erika excitedly.  
  
"Uh, yeah, but there's just one more thing we have to do," Amy replied with hesitation.  
  
"And what's that?"  
  
Amy smiled sheepishly and reached into her pocket. "Do you think you can help me put my beyblade together?"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
The Bladebreakers stepped into the sunlight as they exited the laboratory. Kai went off by himself to do some training in the nearby woods while Ray, Max and Tyson headed for the nearest McDonald's. Ray and Max each got McChicken extra value meals and had just finished their burgers as Tyson was on his third Big Mac.  
  
"Dude, how can you eat like that?" said Ray disgustedly.  
  
"I'm a growing boy, I need my nutrients!" mumbled Tyson between mouthfuls of burger.  
  
"Hey guys, you wanna go to the park over there and catch some amateur blading action after this?" Max beamed.  
  
"I'm in!" replied Ray. "How about you, Tyson?"  
  
Tyson swallowed the last bits of his fifth Big Mac. "Yeah, let's go kick some amateur butt!"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"3. . . 2 . . . 1 . . . LET IT RIP!"  
  
With a shiny, silver launcher and clear, transparent ripcord, Erika launched her purple beyblade into the dish as her opponent launched their yellow beyblade. The beyblades collided in the center of the dish, then began chasing each other back and forth. The purple beyblade dodged the yellow one's attacks left and right, not letting a single attack get in. The yellow beyblade stalled at the side of the dish for a second, then smashed into the side of Erika's beyblade, catching her by surprise. The purple beyblade flew straight out of the dish and just as it hit the ground, the yellow beyblade stopped spinning as all of its previous attacks which had missed earlier had worn it out. Erika smiled to her opponent on the other side of the dish.  
  
"Looks like another draw!"  
  
"Yeah, that was a good battle though! Let's have another match tomorrow!"  
  
"Sure thing!" replied Erika.  
  
Suddenly, an alarm across the street went off over the shattering of glass.  
  
"Help, police! That thief is getting away with all the money from my cash register!" screeched a young woman of about 30.  
  
Erika looked down the street and sure enough, there was a shady character decked out in black who was making off with multiple sacks full of cash. Instead of pursuing him, Erika decided to cut him off at a nearby alleyway. She made towards an apartment building and climbed up the fire escape. She took the stairs down the other side of the building and then ran around a corner into the alley. As the thief ran by, Erika launched her beyblade at him.  
  
"Ow, what the-" yelped the shady character as he dropped the sacks.  
  
He turned to Erika, who was standing alone in the middle of the alleyway. She caught her beyblade as it flew back to her and stared the stranger in the eyes. Erika couldn't help being a little nervous, what if he was armed?  
  
"Hand over the sacks bud, before I do some serious damage!" Erika snarled.  
  
"Hehe, well look what we have here. What do you want little girl?" the man smirked and chuckled at Erika. "You better go home to your mommy before I make you cry, huh?"  
  
"In your dreams! Hand over the sacks before I have to turn you in to the police!" yelled Erika.  
  
"Hmph, well then. If you won't let me pass, then I challenge you to a beyblade match. The winner gets the cash and the loser must forfeit their beyblade to the winner and leave them in peace. Deal?" the man growled.  
  
Erika stepped back, wondering what to do. If this guy had any experience with beyblading at all, he would surely be able to defeat her in seconds. She looked fearfully towards her opponent, took a deep breath, then replied "I accept your challenge."  
  
"Huh, I guess you don't know who you're dealing with." A wide grin spread across the man's face as he pulled a black beyblade from his cloak. "You ready, little girl?"  
  
"Let's just get this over with, ya old geezer!"  
  
"3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . LET IT RIP!"  
  
Erika and the man launched their beyblades onto the concrete, sparks flying as they grinded against each other. Erika's beyblade circled around the black one, setting up for an attack. It knocked the black beyblade across the pavement, then it bounced up and balanced on the rim of a trash can. From there, Erika's blade smashed downward onto her opponent's, angering him.  
  
"That does it! Black Dranzer, attack!"  
  
Erika stood taken aback as the bit in the black beyblade began to glow and the form of a black phoenix emerged. Black Dranzer? It couldn't be! Erika had seen Kai use Black Dranzer when she had watched the world championships in Russia. She knew of its power and its ability to absorb other bitbeasts. She was done for!  
  
"What can I do?" Erika thought to herself. "There's just no way!"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Haha, how was that chapter? The action is starting to heat up now. How will Erika win? How did this mysterious man acquire Black Dranzer? More next time! 


	3. Arrival of Sephoracle

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters, nor do I own McDonald's. I only own this little fanfic and my original characters, Amy and Erika. I also own Sephoracle . . . you'll soon find out who (or what) she is!  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chapter Three-Arrival of Sephoracle  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
As Tyson, Max and Ray came out of McDonald's, they spotted a strange flashing of light behind a building that was only a few blocks away. However, this light was rather peculiar as it seemed to emit darkness rather than light, or whatever it was.  
  
"Hey guys, what do you think that is?" Max asked. Ray thought for a minute as they watched the flashing of darkness before them.  
  
"Maybe we should go check it out. Someone might be in trouble!" said Ray urgently.  
  
"No kidding!" Tyson replied. "Let's go!"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Erika looked on in horror as Black Dranzer towered high above her head. Fierce and majestic, Black Dranzer spread its wings and let out a screech. It glared at Erika, seemingly being able to shoot daggers at her through its eyes. For a second, Erika glanced back at her purple beyblade. It was still spinning, but it wouldn't be able to keep it up for much longer as there was no way it could withstand an attack from Black Dranzer. Unprotected by a bitbeast, it looked like Erika's beyblade was done for.  
  
"Haha . . . foolish girl. There's no hope for you now," the man said as a matter of factly. As terrified as she was, Erika wasn't about to give up. 'There has to be a way out of this,' she thought.  
  
"It's not over yet!" she retorted.  
  
Erika closed her eyes for a second and calmly thought over her situation. 'I can't panic, I can't wimp out now . . . I got myself into this, so now I have to get myself out!' She knew all bitbeasts had weaknesses, but what could the all-powerful Black Dranzer be weak against? She thought back to when she was watching an interview with the Bladebreakers on television. She remembered how they had told the story of how Max, Tyson and Ray beat Kai and Black Dranzer with teamwork and determination to win. Since Erika was alone, teamwork of any sort was out of the question, but maybe a strong desire to win would be able to overcome this adversary.  
  
Suddenly, a beeping sound interrupted her thoughts. Erika opened her eyes and looked at her watch, the silver ring bordering its face reflecting the energy of Black Dranzer. 'That's funny,' Erika thought. 'I had no idea this watch had an alarm function.' She studied her watch for a few seconds. It had a pearly blue wristband with a silver clasp and its face was white with silver numbers. It had been given to her by her mother many years ago and she had never heard it beep like this before. She looked back to Black Dranzer, who appeared to be reacting to Erika's watch. Returning her thoughts back to the battle, Erika prepared herself for the onslaught of the coming attack.  
  
"Go Black Dranzer, Black Fire Arrow attack!" the man shouted.  
  
Erika concentrated hard as she manoeuvred her beyblade through the rain of energy. She had modified her beyblade to have high endurance and speed. However, Black Dranzer's attacks were gaining on the small, purple top and things were starting to look grimmer than before. With its lack of defence, Erika knew that if even one of those fire arrows hit her beyblade, it would be totalled for sure. One of the arrows narrowly missed her beyblade by an inch as it created a dent in the pavement.  
  
Suddenly, Erika's watch began acting up again. Black Dranzer glared towards her once more, obviously annoyed. Without warning, the dark phoenix came charging towards Erika, talons outstretched with malice in its eyes. A short-lived scream escaped Erika's throat as she covered her face with her arms, shaking in fear as Black Dranzer flew at her. 'This is it,' she thought.  
  
With that, a brilliant flash of blue light emanated from the face of Erika's watch. Erika stood frozen, awaiting the attack, but felt nothing. She opened her eyes and looked up. Black Dranzer had stopped in its tracks, the light forming a barrier between her and the bitbeast. In an instant, Black Dranzer was thrown back by the barrier as a column of blue light collided with the bit in the purple beyblade. Erika watched her beyblade in shock and amazement as the bit started emitting a light of its own. She looked on, inert for a few seconds as a smile crept across her face. What was this power surge she was feeling?  
  
The old man took a few steps back in surprise. "What's this? It can't be! This strange power . . . it's impossible!"  
  
Noticing that the man was distracted, Erika decided to take this chance to attack. Her beyblade collided with the black one, knocking it across the alleyway once more. As the glow from the bit in Erika's beyblade heightened, a graceful, icy-blue bird emerged. It glanced kindly towards Erika and seemed to have introduced itself to her. 'Sephoracle . . . ' Erika thought. 'Is that your name?' That's when the blue bird turned towards Black Dranzer, glaring menacingly. The man stood there gaping at the sight, completely forgetting about the battle and where he was. Just then, Tyson, Max and Ray appeared at the scene just in time to observe the arrival of Sephoracle.  
  
"Sephoracle, Thousand Years Legacy Attack!" Erika shouted confidently.  
  
Sephoracle, who was awaiting its mistress's command, flapped its wings once, sending a wave of energy toward the black beyblade. A strange aura surrounded the attack as the air around its target began to change. The Thousand Years Legacy attack was causing time to move faster for the black beyblade as it began to spin slower and slower. Black Dranzer withered as time took its toll on it, causing it to vanish back into the bit of the man's beyblade. In a few seconds, it started to wobble, then it toppled over as it stopped spinning. Sephoracle returned to the purple beyblade, which was still spinning in another corner of the alley. Erika was the winner!  
  
The man looked on in shock as he watched his beyblade hit the ground. He shouted a fury of accusations towards Erika, then pulled out a small pistol.  
  
"Say your prayers, little girl. Any last words?" the old man stuttered. Erika stared at the man, emotionless and sure of herself. She wasn't afraid of him any more!  
  
"Back off, you senile old man!" said a voice from around the corner of the alleyway. Suddenly, a blue and white beyblade knocked the pistol from the man's grasp.  
  
"Amy! Am I glad to see you!" Erika chirped with glee. At that point, the man turned and ran away, leaving behind the black beyblade, his pistol and the sacks full of cash. Just then, a police car arrived. Two officers came out, collected the sacks and the pistol, then congratulated Erika for standing up to the mysterious thief.  
  
"We owe it all to you, kid" said one of the officers. "How did you do it?"  
  
"Um . . . " Erika thought for a minute. "It's a long story."  
  
As the police officers drove away, Tyson, Max and Ray approached the two girls.  
  
"Wow, that was amazing, uh . . . Erika, was it?" Ray said, impressed.  
  
"Yeah, that was one of the best beybattles I've ever seen!" Max agreed.  
  
"That's some bitbeast you've got there, too" Tyson said excitedly. "It was so awesome how it created that time warp thing around Black Dranzer!"  
  
"Haha . . . thanks," replied Erika, who blushed a little. "But I was really nervous until Sephoracle here arrived." She held up her beyblade, which now had an image of an icy-blue bird on its bit.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, we forgot to introduce ourselves. I'm Ray, this here is Max and over here we have Tyson!" Ray announced cheerfully.  
  
"Pleased ta meetcha!" Max smiled. Ray thought back to Erika's battle for a second.  
  
"So your bitbeast can alter time, huh?" Ray inquired.  
  
"I guess so," replied Erika "But I just met Sephoracle, so I don't really know much about it yet."  
  
"Maybe you can help us" Max suggested. "You see, we desperately need a way in which we can travel through time and perhaps your bitbeast holds a key to that!"  
  
"Come with us back to lab" Tyson grinned. "I'll bet Kenny and the others will be excited to meet you guys!"  
  
Amy and Erika glanced to each other, wondering what they should do. Amy nodded and they followed the Bladebreakers towards the lab.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Whoa, what a battle. Hope it wasn't too confusing to read! Please review! 


	4. Time for Some Training!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. I only own this little fanfic and my original characters, Amy, Erika and Sephoracle.  
  
Isa Koliki: I'm glad you like Erika and Amy! Before I started writing chapter 2, I didn't even plan on including them until the last minute!  
  
Erika and Amy: "Wow! We have a fan!"  
  
Flaller: It was my pleasure to thank my first reviewer, that's you! I'm glad you think my fic is interesting so far. Nothing too exciting happens in this chapter, but don't worry, things will get interesting once the time travelling begins!  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chapter Four-Time for Some Training!  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
With Black Dranzer in one hand and Sephoracle in her pocket, Erika followed Amy and the Bladebreakers towards the lab. They walked down a few city streets before coming to the forest where Kai had been training. Eventually, they approached the sliding glass doors of the lab where they found Kenny and Emily, who were still busying themselves with the laborious task of developing time travel technology.  
  
Kai was standing against a wall with his arms crossed and eyes closed, deep in thought as usual. He took a quick glance from Amy to Erika when he heard two unfamiliar voices in the room. 'Who are these people and what are they doing here?' he thought. 'They don't look like crazy fangirls or anything like that, but whatever they're here for, they'd better not be just loitering around!'  
  
"Now look what Tyson and the gang have brought in," Kai grumbled, annoyed with the presence of strangers.  
  
"Dude, chill out! They're just friends of ours!" Tyson retorted.  
  
"We also think that they might be able to help us with the time travelling stuff," Ray replied.  
  
"Hmph, whatever," Kai remarked. "Just make sure that you keep your 'guests' out of trouble."  
  
At this, Amy and Erika looked to the floor as they began to feel a bit awkward being around the world champion beybladers. They began to wonder whether or not they should have come, as what Kai said was true. They really didn't have any business coming here and were just amateur bladers whom Tyson, Max and Ray just randomly happened to meet in town that day. Noticing that they weren't really comfortable in their new surroundings, Max, Ray and Tyson decided that they should try to make Amy and Erika feel more at ease.  
  
"Hey, don't worry about Kai," Max smiled. "You know how he is, right guys?"  
  
"Who does he think he is to criticize our guests? Why I oughta-"  
  
"What Tyson means to say is, Kai is a little on the antisocial side and he likes being alone. But don't be put off by that, he really is a good guy once you've earned his respect," Ray cut in.  
  
"Yeah, so don't worry about it if you don't get along with him right away," Max added. "He'll get used to you guys eventually!" With that, Max gave Amy and Erika a thumbs-up and winked.  
  
"Anyways, go ahead and make yourselves comfortable" Ray suggested.  
  
"And don't look like you guys are gonna be interrogated or something. Kenny or Emily will call you over when they're ready!" Tyson announced cheerfully. "In the meantime, feel free to explore the lab or even train in one of our specially designed beydishes."  
  
Amy and Erika gave each other sideways glances. They were still unsure of what to make of their situation and still felt a bit awkward, even after the Bladebreakers had reassured them. They furtively began exploring the lab, amazed by all the resources and equipment that the Bladebreakers had access to. Soon, they began to wonder why they had been brought there and whether or not they would be able to succeed in that purpose. Suddenly, their thoughts were interrupted.  
  
"Hey Erika, can you come over here for a second?" Emily called. Erika and Amy advanced towards her, awaiting Emily's instructions. "Launch your beyblade into this metal dish here."  
  
Erika pulled out Sephoracle and attempted to launch it into the dish. However, the dish was small and Erika didn't have the greatest aim, so Sephoracle was sent skittering across the floor a few times before Erika actually managed to land her into the dish. Emily sighed.  
  
"Finally! Now can you call forth Sephoracle?" Emily asked doubtfully.  
  
"I'll try, but I'm not sure if I can do it," Erika replied with hesitation.  
  
"I take it that you haven't been beyblading long."  
  
"That's right . . . Erika and I only got started last week" Amy explained.  
  
"Come out Sephoracle!" Erika called uneasily.  
  
Kai watched with curiosity as Erika made an effort to summon her bitbeast. He chuckled to himself a little when her attempts were to no avail. 'I wonder what made the others so certain that this girl could help us?' he contemplated. 'She can barely launch her blade for crying out loud, let alone thread her ripcord properly; so how can they expect her to summon a bitbeast?'  
  
Meanwhile, the purple beyblade continued to spin in the center of Emily's dish, oblivious to Erika's commands. Emily frowned and tapped her foot impatiently as she watched Erika shout at her beyblade hopelessly.  
  
"Girl, you need some training," Emily declared. "This device that I have created will only work if you're able to summon Sephoracle. This special dish acts as an absorbent for the energy wavelengths that your bitbeast will emit, once it has emerged from your beyblade of course."  
  
"I'm sorry . . . " Erika apologized. "I know I'm not a very good blader and I can tell that you were really depending on my bitbeast for your, uh . . . time thingy. But when I do become better, I promise I'll come back and help you if I can!" That's when Kai decided to get up from the spot where he was leaning on the wall.  
  
"It will take more than just a little training to get you in the game," Kai cut in. "Learning to summon a bitbeast is different from the technical stuff, like say, pulling off a good launch. It requires an entirely different aspect of concentration and focussing your energy."  
  
"Huh?" Erika was confused.  
  
"In other words, you need more experience and confidence in yourself. I kinda doubt you'll be able to grasp that for now, especially for an amateur such as yourself."  
  
"Then what do you suppose we do, Mr. Smartypants?" Tyson inquired.  
  
Kai had turned his back and was about to walk away, but stopped in his tracks at Tyson's question. He paused for a bit, then turned around again.  
  
"I'll train her," he stated coolly.  
  
"You'll what?" Tyson asked, surprised.  
  
"You heard me right. I said I'll train her, seeing as that's our only option right now."  
  
Tyson's jaw dropped as Max, Ray and Kenny came upon the scene.  
  
"Hey, what's happening?" Ray asked.  
  
"Kai just volunteered to train Erika so she can summon her bitbeast!" Tyson replied, still gaping at Kai's offer.  
  
"Dude, that's so generous of you, Kai!" Max exclaimed, patting Kai on the back.  
  
Kai grinned. "Don't push it, lil' Maxy!"  
  
"So you're going to train me?" asked Erika curiously. "Thanks so much! When do we start?"  
  
"We can start right now, if that's okay with you," Kai remarked. "However, I'm doing this on the condition that you'll do everything exactly as I tell you. Ca piche?"  
  
"I'll do my best, but I'm afraid I can't promise anything!" Erika said, grateful for Kai's assistance.  
  
"Here, I'll help with the training too," Ray added. "You can follow along as well if you'd like, Amy."  
  
"Count me in! Nothing like learning from the experts!" Amy cheered.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
In the All Stars' specially rendered training area, Kai began to school Amy and Erika on the basics of beyblading.  
  
"Show me how you launch your blade" Kai commanded.  
  
Erika fumbled with her ripcord as she threaded it through her launcher. She attached Sephoracle to the base then held out her launcher in her left hand and grasped the ripcord with her right. With a quick jerk, Erika launched her beyblade into the dish.  
  
"Okay, so that's not the greatest launch I've ever seen, but that's what we're here for," Kai announced. "Here, watch me."  
  
Kai pulled Dranzer out from his pocket and with one swift motion, had his ripcord threaded and Dranzer in place, ready to go. He extended his arms in front of him and pulled off a clean launch right into the center of the dish.  
  
"Err . . . could you repeat that in slow motion?" Amy asked.  
  
Kai sighed as Dranzer flew back to his open hand. He rethreaded his ripcord through his launcher, allowing Amy and Erika to take in his movements. 'This is gonna take awhile' he thought.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Can you believe that Kai, of all people, was the one who offered to train Amy and Erika? We'll see how successful he is next chapter! 


	5. Imperfect Timing

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. I only own this little fanfic and my original characters, Amy, Erika and Sephoracle.  
  
Isa Koliki: Yeah, it's awesome how Kai has a friendly side that comes through occasionally, hm?  
  
Scarlet: Hey, Kai's cool, so cut him a little slack! Thanks for reviewing my fic by the way!  
  
Flaller: Haha, so you have something for Kai, huh? Don't worry, Amy and Erika will be just fine . . . as far as I know anyway.  
  
Have you all noticed a pattern in the way I've titled my chapters? The majority of them include the word 'time' in their name in some shape or form. Okay, so maybe it's a little cheesy, but it sticks to the theme of time traveling . . . sorta. Anyways, on with the story!  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chapter Five-Imperfect Timing  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
For the next four days, Erika and Amy continue to visit the lab to train with Kai and Ray.  
  
"Okay, you've got a decent launch now. This time, I want you to try starting with your launcher upside down, then flipping your wrist as you launch," Kai explained.  
  
Amy and Erika attempted to follow Kai's instructions to the best of their ability, but both of them ended up with really off-kilter launches that didn't even land their beyblades into the dish.  
  
"Huh . . . well I guess that didn't turn out so well. At least you guys are training better than that loudmouth Tyson," Kai muttered.  
  
Erika attempted a second launch without the wrist flip. It landed in the dish, but the aim wasn't perfect and her beyblade started wobbling after a few seconds.  
  
"What did I tell you about launching your beyblade like that?! Geez . . . weren't you listening when I was explaining the part about remembering to aim?" Kai shouted angrily.  
  
"I- I'm sorry," Erika stuttered, looking at the floor.  
  
"Look. At the beginning, you said that you would do everything I told you to. So do it!" Kai was obviously pissed.  
  
Erika's face fell and she sighed, clutching Sephoracle in her fist. She sat down and buried her face in her arms, feeling as if she was on the verge of bursting into tears. Suddenly, she felt an arm around her shoulder.  
  
"Hey, you okay?" Ray asked, concerned. "Don't let Kai get to you, he's really tough on all of us when it comes to training. I don't think he's mean on purpose though, it's just that he hasn't really had much experience when it comes to being nice. Here, let me help you up."  
  
Ray held out his hand and Erika took it as he pulled her to her feet. Suddenly, Erika lost her balance and fell into Ray's arms. Ray caught her and steadied Erika until she was able to stand firm.  
  
"Thanks, Ray" Erika smiled. "You're so sweet!" With that, she gave Ray a hug.  
  
"Haha, no problem!" Ray replied, blushing a little. He held Erika close and ruffled her hair.  
  
"Oh, you guys are such a cute couple!" Amy teased.  
  
At that comment, Erika and Ray quickly let go of each other and distanced themselves to what they deemed to be far enough away to be able to refute Amy's teasings.  
  
"Did I just hear a death wish, girl?" Erika giggled.  
  
Amy yelped and took off with Erika chasing her around the lab. Kai rolled his eyes while Ray couldn't help but burst out laughing. Suddenly, Max walked into the room.  
  
"Hey guys, Emily's intercepted another Biovolt e-mail! Come see!"  
  
Everyone followed Max into the next room where the others were crowded around Emily's computer. The screen read as follows:  
  
Dear Master Voltaire,  
  
We have managed to perfect our time capsule a week before schedule and may commence our plans within days. We shall begin with our original agenda to prevent the Bladebreakers from forming a team starting when they were 7 years old. Hopefully, we can make sure they never enter the same qualifying tournament or anything 6 years later. Let me know when Dmetrius gets back to you in regards to our timepiece conductor.  
  
Signed, Boris  
  
"What does it all mean?" Tyson asked. "Who's this Dmetrius guy and what's a timepiece conductor? Does this mean they've beat us in creating a time travel thing?"  
  
"It means that we probably have around two to four days to complete our own time machine before Biovolt begins to carry out their plans," Emily interpreted. "The other stuff doesn't seem too significant . . . for now at least."  
  
"So what should we do now?" Max inquired.  
  
"Well, since Emily and I have practically done everything we can about our time warp dish, I believe the next step is to get Erika to summon Sephoracle, and it doesn't look like that's gonna happen anytime soon," Kenny reflected.  
  
"Hmm . . . so we only have a few more days to summon Sephoracle," Amy repeated.  
  
"Don't worry!" Max chirped. "We'll all help Erika train, right guys?"  
  
"No doubt!" said Tyson.  
  
"Kenny and I will help too. So don't stress over it, Erika. With all of us working together, I'm sure Sephoracle will come out in no time" Emily assured.  
  
"Yeah whatever. Now if you guys are all through chit-chatting, I'd like to get to the training again if you don't mind" Kai stated coldly.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Everyone works together, filling in Erika on all sorts of beyblading techniques. Her launch and spin steadily improve as the Bladebreakers continue to teach her for the next few hours. Kenny and Emily help make a few modifications to Erika's blade, realigning it with a new weight disk and spin gear to increase its speed and endurance even further. Max helps to make up for Erika's beyblade's lack of defence by showing her a number of evasive maneuvers. Kai sticks to the basics of having good form when launching and making smooth, controlled movements when attacking and defending. Lastly, Tyson and Ray show Erika a few basic attack moves and a few special attacks that could be used in certain cases in which her beyblade gets knocked into the air.  
  
"I think you've improved a lot, Erika!" Max cheered.  
  
"Yeah, I think we can retire for today," Ray yawned.  
  
"You guys were awesome! Thanks so much for helping Erika here to . . . " Amy trailed off. "Erika?"  
  
Erika was curled up by the side of the beydish fast asleep. Soft, deep breathing could be heard as she had Sephoracle clutched in her fist in a peaceful slumber. Amy giggled at the sight, then hoisted Erika up onto her back.  
  
"I think we'd better go home now, so we'll see you tomorrow!" Amy called as she carried Erika out the door.  
  
"See you tomorrow!" Tyson shouted.  
  
Max's mom watched as Erika and Amy retreated into the darkness and disappeared in the trees. 'We will have a lot in store for you tomorrow, Erika,' she thought.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Whew, that's probably the shortest chapter I've done yet! I'm really busy with schoolwork and all, so it's not easy for me to update this story as often as I would like. Anyways, please review! 


	6. Time Twister Frenzy

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. I only own this little fanfic and my original characters, Amy, Erika, and Sephoracle; as well as the mysterious Dmetrius Scott . . . *cackles evilly*  
  
'Tis true, every week it gets harder for me to work on this fanfic. I may have to confine my updates to weekends when I have more time to finish my homework and study. However, you guys are in for a treat this time. This chapter is the longest I have written thus far in the story, 2500 words! Most of my chapters are usually around 1500 words more or less, usually less.  
  
Isa Koliki: Haha, yes, I try to update as often as I can. However, you might find that I'm updating less and less as the homework and tests start to pile on . . . sorry about this! I think my writing is starting to deteriorate actually as I find that somehow my earlier chapters seem to be better written.  
  
Flaller and Friends: I'm glad you all like my fic! Thanks for all the nice reviews too! Don't worry, none of your reviews are a waste of my time. I actually find it quite amusing to read your conflicting dialogue! And Flaller, I've already gotten started on reading your fic (2 weeks ago I believe, since you were my first reviewer!), but I got a little discouraged at first because of all the funky, err . . . grammar usage. It was a little hard for me to read, but don't worry. I'll get back to it when I can!  
  
Mhudara: Yeah, it'd be so cool if real life beyblades could have bitbeasts, huh? Well, we can dream can't we? Go Sephoracle!  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Chapter Six: Time Twister Frenzy  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
"Wake up Erika, we're gonna be late!" Amy yelled.  
  
"Mmph . . . I'm so sleepy. Want sleep . . . " Erika yawned.  
  
"If you don't get your lazy butt out of bed this minute, then I'm going through your stuff and taking what I like!" Amy smirked.  
  
"Pah, whatever. Fine by me . . . " muttered a soporific Erika. Amy sighed in frustration.  
  
"That was so not the answer I was anticipating."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Back at the lab, Emily and Max's mom busied themselves with Erika's training schedule for the day.  
  
"Is the training crisis simulation all set?" asked Max's mom.  
  
"Yup, all systems go!" Emily confirmed.  
  
"Whatcha up to?" Max inquired cheerfully.  
  
"We're setting up a new training simulator for Erika once she gets here. Perhaps it will give Sephoracle the incentive to come out," Max's mom explained.  
  
"How's it work?" Tyson asked, confused.  
  
"You'll see" Emily replied.  
  
As Max and Tyson pondered over what the training simulator was all about, Kenny was researching ways to upgrade his time warp dish, the device which was intended to allow for time travel upon the summoning of the proper bitbeast.  
  
"There's not much I can do now until Erika can summon Sephoracle," Kenny remarked.  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Erika washed her face and got changed into her clothes in record time. Outside, Amy was waiting for her impatiently, screaming at her to hurry up. Finally, Erika met Amy outside her house and they began running down the street towards the lab.  
  
"You know what, Amy?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was in such a hurry to get out of the door that I have the feeling that I've forgotten something."  
  
Erika and Amy turned a corner and crossed the street. The sky was clear that day with the sound of leaves rustling in the wind and children playing somewhere off in the distance. As Erika and Amy passed a local park, they saw a few kids beyblading as they rushed towards the lab.  
  
"Those kids have no idea that an evil madman is trying to take over the world with a state of the art time travel device that will prevent the Bladebreakers team from forming," Amy stated.  
  
"Yeah, I don't know who's luckier . . . us, for knowing about it; or them, for not knowing about it," Erika replied. "You know, I still have that feeling that I've forgotten something."  
  
"Well, there's not much you could have forgotten," Amy reflected. "I mean, the only things you really need are your beyblade, launcher and ripcord. But of course, I know you couldn't have-"  
  
Erika stopped in her tracks and Amy was cut off short. Erika rested her head on her fist and looked upward to the sky, as if trying to remember something.  
  
"Oh God, don't tell me. You forgot your beyblade, didn't you?"  
  
"Not exactly, Sephoracle's right here. However, I . . . well, err . . . I kinda left my launcher on my dresser and . . . "  
  
"Erika, you idiot!"  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
Meanwhile, the Bladebreakers were still waiting for Erika and Amy to show up.  
  
"Hey Maxy, wanna rematch?" grinned Tyson. "You beat me the other day, but I betcha can't do it again!"  
  
"Sorry Tyson, I have to help Kenny test the polarity of the time warp dish. Perhaps Kai or Ray would like to battle you."  
  
"Hey Kai, wanna beybattle me?"  
  
"If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times. I don't have time for amateurs like you!"  
  
"Oh yeah, right. I saw that one coming."  
  
Tyson wasn't the only one who was restless. Ray sat cross-legged up against a wall, watching the rest of the team mill about the lab. He closed his eyes and thought back to the village where he grew up. 'I wonder where the White Tigers are right now,' he reminisced. Across the room, Ray was distracted from his thoughts by Tyson, who was throwing some sort of fit about being bored. Ray stood up and pulled out Driger, polishing it with the soft fabric of his traditional Chinese outfit. He sighed, then smiled to himself. 'Tyson . . . when will you ever grow up?'  
  
"Man, I can't believe I'm just standing here wasting time!" Tyson complained.  
  
"Somehow I can . . . " Kai remarked sarcastically.  
  
"Dude, what are you saying?"  
  
"Well, you do it all the time when we're training, so I don't see why it's such a burden for you."  
  
"What? Huh, if you think you're so-"  
  
"Hey Tyson, why don't you leave Kai alone and beybattle me instead?" Ray suggested, breaking up the argument.  
  
"Ya really mean it, bud?" Tyson asked hopefully.  
  
"Ray, don't feel like you have to babysit for Tyson here just because he can't sit still for 30 seconds if his life depended on it," Kai stated with conviction. He was obviously pissed with Tyson. Ray smiled and gave Kai an uplifting glance.  
  
"Hey Kai, don't worry about it. I can take care of Tyson!"  
  
Ray winked at Kai, who closed his eyes and smiled.  
  
"Well, all I can say is, don't say I didn't warn you."  
  
With that, Kai turned around and walked off, his scarf trailing behind him. Ray motioned for Tyson to follow him and they headed toward the lab's training area.  
  
"Dude, Ray, you don't have to battle me just 'cause I'm bored. I mean, I know I'm a pain sometimes, but that doesn't mean you have to go out of your way to keep me occupied!"  
  
"Haha . . . like I said to Kai, don't worry about it. Driger needs some training anyway." Ray and Tyson get set up on opposite sides of the beydish. "I think this is the special dish rigged with the training crisis simulator that's meant to help Erika summon Sephoracle. Let's give it a test run, shall we?"  
  
"Right on!" Tyson cheered.  
  
"3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . LET IT RIP!"  
  
"Go Dragoon! Phantom hurricane attack!"  
  
"Let's go, Driger! Tiger Claw!"  
  
Soon enough, Driger and Dragoon emerged from their respective beyblades and braced themselves for attack. That's when Erika and Amy arrived just in time to watch the start of the beybattle between Tyson and Ray.  
  
"Yo, what took you guys?" Tyson asked. Amy cleared her throat.  
  
"Erika here forgot her launcher when we were halfway here. So we go back to her house, fetch the launcher, then come here, only to find that Kenny has built a new launcher for her to use instead," Amy explained.  
  
"Haha, I'll bet that was some trip, huh" Ray smiled. "Tyson and I are taking your training crisis simulator for a test drive. Since you two are here now, why don't you guys join us?"  
  
Amy and Erika launched their beyblades into the wide dish, well away from where Driger and Dragoon were attacking each other. Suddenly, the base of the dish disappeared, revealing sky and countryside 20,000 feet down. Slowly, the rest of the training area disintegrated around them, leaving nothing behind. Erika, Amy, Tyson and Ray were swept off their feet as they began their quick descent.  
  
"Eek! What's happening?" asked a terrified Amy.  
  
"I guess this must be part of the simulation," Ray answered.  
  
As the four went plummeting towards the earth, their beyblades continued to spin in mid-air. Driger and Dragoon attempted to fly down and catch their masters, but it was no use. They were all falling too fast.  
  
"I don't care if this is real or not, I'm totally freaked out either way!" Tyson shouted.  
  
"Erika, summon Sephoracle now!" Ray ordered. "This simulator is designed to help you do just that!"  
  
"Come on Sephoracle, come out!" Erika yelled at her beyblade. However, the tiny purple beyblade continued spiraling downwards as the others followed in formation. Wind rushed past everyone, tossing their hair every which way as they fell more and more rapidly.  
  
"Erika, relax and concentrate. I know you can do this!" Ray assured.  
  
"Thank goodness this is just a simulation, right you guys?" Tyson smirked.  
  
"I don't know, this sure feels pretty real to me!"  
  
Suddenly, a deep, booming voice echoed across the countryside, seemingly from all directions.  
  
"Maybe because it's not a simulation after all," the voice boomed. Ray gasped.  
  
"That's Voltaire's voice! He must've messed with this thing somehow!" cried Tyson.  
  
"That's right, young Tyson," Voltaire spoke. "It'll all be over for you meddling bladers within a few seconds, so you all better say your prayers!"  
  
"Hey, um . . . Erika? Now would be a very good time to summon Sephoracle, just to let you know . . . " Tyson whimpered meekly.  
  
Was this real after all? Everyone was terrified, especially Erika. A wave of panic and fear hit her as realization slowly unfolded in her mind. The lives of her friends depended on her confidence with her blading skills. What could she do? How could she possibly call upon Sephoracle under so much pressure? Erika closed her eyes, wind still whipping her hair across her face.  
  
'Let's see . . . ' thought Erika. 'How did I first manage to summon Sephoracle? I know I only have about a minute before we all hit the ground and die, but if I can just relax for only a few seconds, maybe I can put it all together. Huh . . . it all started when Black Dranzer appeared in that dark alleyway and in my determination to defeat it, Sephoracle came to my aid and we managed to do it together. Was it the determination? Yes, that's got to be it!'  
  
The yells and screams of Erika's friends flitted through the air as they kept speeding towards the ground, but Erika kept her focus. 'I have to save my friends, they're all depending on me . . . "  
  
"Help! I'm too young to die!" Tyson cried.  
  
"Eep! Somebody, please help us!" Amy yelled in vain.  
  
'The lives of my friends depend on me, I cannot let them down!'  
  
Without warning, and unnoticed by all, the bit in Erika's blade began to emit a shining, blue light.  
  
"Sephoracle, we've got to save my friends, now! Time Twister Revolutions!"  
  
Amy, Ray and Tyson immediately fell silent as a narrow, blue beam of light shot straight up into the sky from the tiny purple beyblade below. Everyone was awestruck as they gazed at the icy blue bird bitbeast that emerged. Sephoracle circled around, gliding gracefully upon its broad, silky wings of azure. Suddenly, it flipped its wings upright, ceasing its flight as it hovered in front of Erika. Sephoracle let out a cry and in an instant, the view of the countryside began to blur and distort under Sephoracle's supernatural aura. The world around seemed to meld together in a bizarre palette of colors.  
  
Sephoracle released another wave of energy and began to radiate several peals of luminosity. The surrounding world began to spin as Sephoracle sent several spirals of glistening light around the beybladers and their beyblades, creating a type of vortex. She then took Erika gently by her beak and placed her on her back. Erika clutched around Sephoracle's neck as she and the rest of the crew began to speed forward through the spiraling vortex. Soon, the spirals thinned out to a cylindrical tunnel made up of a long row of neon blue rings. Everyone watched in amazement as they followed Sephoracle through the darkness of space, dotted with thousands of twinkling stars. They continued to travel through the tunnel of rings, admiring the vastness and the indefinite environment of this mysterious galaxy.  
  
"Look, there's the end of the tunnel!" Tyson called.  
  
As the group hit the last ring of the tunnel, there was a blinding flash of light and the darkness became infinite whiteness.  
  
Erika opened her eyes, blinking them as she slowly got up from the floor of the training area. She looked around and saw Tyson, Amy and Ray getting up as well. Down in the beydish, all beyblades but Erika's had long stopped spinning and were resting side by side. A light grinding sound caught Erika's ears. She turned around and saw her purple beyblade spinning by her foot, a faint blue glow emanating from it. The glow soon faded and the beyblade wobbled until it too ceased to spin.  
  
"It looks like Erika is the winner!" Kenny walked into the training room with a cup of coffee. "Something went wrong with the training simulator-it looks like our program might have been hacked or something. But no worries! Emily and I have managed to compile all sorts of data on Sephoracle and we've already modified the time warp dish to conform with her special abilities. And Erika, good job in summoning your bitbeast."  
  
"Thanks Kenny," Erika mumbled, but then her voice became stern. "But it was not an easy thing to do. Our lives were in danger, did you know that?"  
  
"How could that be? It was just another simulator, right?"  
  
"Not exactly . . . it's a long story."  
  
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
There goes my longest chapter yet! Please read and review! 


	7. Setting the Stage!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. I only own this little fanfic and my original characters, Amy, Erika, and Sephoracle; as well as the mysterious Dmetrius Scott . . . cackles evilly

Okay, so the ending in my last chapter wasn't so great, but I'll try and make this one better!

I think I'll start a poll: Which chapter of "Blading in Time" do you like the best and why? I'd also appreciate it if you could also list chapters 1-7 from your favorite to your least favorite. Make sure that I'll be able to tell which is which! This will help me put priority on the chapters that I need to review.

Isa Koliki: I'm glad you liked that Kai/Tyson dialogue! I was hoping I'd be able to keep everyone in character, I almost thought I was making Kai a little too harsh (he does become a bit more friendly after the world championships).

Flaller and Scarlet: The training simulation back in chapter 6 was a program created by Max's mom and Emily to create a virtual situation for Erika to beybattle in. However, according to Kenny, their simulation appeared to have been hacked and it's uncertain as to whether it was actually real or not. Thanks for asking, feel free to send more questions my way if you don't understand something!

Pika318: I'm glad you think it's good! Honestly, it would be hard to imagine the type of chaos that would be tormenting the world had the Bladebreakers team never existed. So we gotta cheer for Erika, Amy and the Bladebreakers so that they can hopefully beat Biovolt's time altering schemes!

Milo: Wow! My first flame, and a pretty pathetic one at that. You're blaming me for poor grammar use while you were barely able to properly structure the sentences in your review, making it totally redundant. Why would you have read all the way to chapter 4 if you didn't like it? Geez, I guess for that, you didn't have the guts to submit a signed review. Honestly though, I don't believe that it's ever right to flame anyone, regardless of their skill level or the plot they've created. Sure, it's okay to criticize, but a flame is meaningless to anyone. Many people put a lot of time and effort into their fics and when that's so, their writing reflects a certain kind of essence that nobody else could recreate. That's why I believe that nobody deserves to be flamed. It's so wrong.

A/N (2007 update): After a hiatus of over 3 years, I've decided to take up this fic again. I hate it when fics are left unfinished, don't you? Oh, and my writing skills have improved since then, so you may notice a difference from the previous chapters. Since I had already written half this chapter back in 2004, please let me know if you notice any discontinuity!

* * *

Chapter Seven: Planning Time

* * *

"Sephoracle, Time Twister Revolutions!" 

A spiraling blue beam was projected directly at an orange battle top, causing its individual pieces to dismantle as it spun.

"Thanks Sephoracle!" Erika called to her bitbeast. Sephoracle quickly disappeared back into the purple beyblade, which flew towards Erika's open hand. Amy and Max clapped.

"What's with these cheap battle tops?" Erika smirked. "I can tell they're not real beyblades . . . they're like, pirated versions or something."

"Yup, that's right!" Amy grinned. "Max and I got a whole bunch of them at the dollar store today."

"They're no good for serious beybattling, but they do make decent props for target practice sometimes," Max added.

"Decent targets? Half of these things can't even stay spinning for over ten seconds!" Erika teased.

"Yeah, well, I guess you can never tell with these cheap remakes," Max chuckled. "Anyhow, I think you've been getting better at summoning Sephoracle ever since that incident with the training simulator."

"Yeah, he's right!" Amy agreed. "Here, have another go with this funky red battle top!" Amy strided over to the dish and tossed the remains of the orange battle top into a large pile of trashed battle top pieces. "I think Max and I still have about 30 of these things left, so we can keep training for awhile." Holding a flimsy, plastic launcher in her left and a jagged five inch ripcord in her right, Amy released the battle top into the dish. It began to wobble immediately, then hurtled over in a stiff circle as it ceased to spin.

"Okay, just because we're using these crappy, err . . . I mean economical battle tops, doesn't mean that you have to use their horri- . . . I mean, dysfunctional launchers too!" Erika giggled.

"These stupid things don't even fit in a regular launcher!" Amy laughed as she attempted to place the battle top onto her own launcher.

"You cheapskates!"

* * *

"So what are we gonna do once we can travel through time, Kenny?" 

"I'm not really sure Tyson, but I think Max's mom had something planned."

As the Bladebreakers lounged around in the lab, Max's mom was busy chatting on the phone. After she hung up, she decided to approach the team.

"Hey boys, if you have a minute, I would like to have a meeting with everyone right now. I know you've all been wondering how we are going to counter Biovolt's plans.

As Kai, Tyson, Ray, Kenny and Emily looked towards Max's mom in anticipation of the news, brisk footsteps could be heard outside. Three, hollow knocks sounded on the door.

"I'll get it!"

With that, Emily rushed to the door and opened it. She stepped back and gasped in surprise when she recognized the man in the doorway.

"Mr. Dickinson! What are you doing here?"

"Ahhh, it's nice to see you again, Emily. Fine weather, isn't it? Oh, hello everyone."

At this, Emily ushered him through the door and gave him an impatient glance. 'Honestly, talking about the weather at a time like this?' she thought. A few minutes later, Max's mom gathers everyone together in a large conference room, where she had already had notes and maps drawn out on a chalkboard.

"Okay, everyone," announced Mr. Dickinson. "Since we're all here together now, let's get down to business. Ms Mizuhara? If you will."

"Thank you, Mr. Dickinson. Now, about our method of time travel, we would like you all to realize. . ."

Max's mom continued for over an hour, detailing their mission and how they would thwart Biovolt's plans. There were many things to keep in mind, but the main gist of it was this: a new type of beyblading tournament, along with a beyblade camp, would be set up 6 years into the past. Emily and Kenny would be in charge of tracking Biovolt's activity, while reporting anything suspicious to either Max's mom or Mr. Dickinson. They, in turn, would send instructions to the Bladebreakers, who would be responsible for watching over their 7-year old selves, as well as countering Biovolt in the case of an attack. However, there were a few problems, such as coming up with an explanation for the Bladebreakers' disappearance when they go off to fight Biovolt in the past. What if they were to miss an important tournament? What kind of excuses would they give to their family, or friends? And last but not least, would it be beneficial or not for Erika and Amy to come with them?

"I don't know about this," Amy trailed, deep in thought. "I mean, 6 years ago isn't exactly far back enough to shop for vintage fashion, but I guess it _would _be kinda fun to see everyone as cute little kids. . ."

"I'll only come along if Max's mom thinks I can be of any use there," Erika decided. "I don't really want to burden anyone, you know?"

"Do _you_ want to come?" Ray asked.

"It'll be fun! And we can hang out!" Max exclaimed.

"Yeah! A beyblading camp! And in the past too! How awesome is that?"

"Give it a rest, Tyson." Kai glared at his teammate, then turned to Amy and Erika. "You two. Keep in mind that this isn't a field trip. Rather, it will be a stressful mission and if either or both of you decide to come with us, then a lot more training will be in order. And I don't want to be responsible for babysitting amateurs either!" the blue-haired boy explained, eyeing Tyson for a second. "I already get enough of that as it is!"

"KAIIII. . .just what is that supposed to mean!?"

* * *

"Here, see if you can beat this formation!" 

"Like this? Let me see. . ."

After the long meeting, Amy, Erika and Max were back to target practice with their dollar store battle tops. Tyson, who had been falling asleep through all the explanations, went to bother Kenny about new modifications for his Dragoon. Rei was busy chatting with the other All Stars about upcoming tournaments, while Kai decided to take a stroll around the lab. He decided he was a bit curious about Max's method of training, and headed over to the training beystadium.

"Hey Kai!" Max smiled. "Want to practice with us?"

"Not now, Max. Hey, what ARE those things?"

"Well, uhh, those are. . ."

Kai reached for the bag of battle tops and picked one up, examining the label. At this point, Max was unsure of how Kai would react, but he seemed to be amused as an expression of bewilderment spread across his teammate's face. Kai raised an eyebrow.

"Super Spinner 3000, Feel the Matchless Power! Premium Performance Top!?"


	8. A Mysterious Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters. I only own this little fanfic and my original characters, Amy, Erika, and Sephoracle; as well as the mysterious Dmetrius Scott . . . cackles evilly

A/N: I've reread all the previous chapters for this fanfic, so I'm considering editing some of them to make them more cohesive. My goal is to write a light-hearted adventure fic that focuses on character relationships as well as the plot itself. As for Amy and Erika, I want to develop them into unique and likeable characters in their own right.

I've decided to create brief character profiles, starting from this chapter onwards! The first one will be about Erika's bitbeast, Sephoracle.

* * *

NAME: Sephoracle; derived from Sephora (Greek for _petit bird_) and Oracle (has many definitions, but generally referred to a person with clairvoyance or something that depicts future events) 

APPEARANCE: Icy blue bird with a long, flowing tail

ELEMENT: manipulation of time

STRATEGY: use of support moves to weaken or confuse opponent

TECHNIQUES: Thousand Years Legacy, Time Twister Revolution, Serf Needle

BURST CORE LINK: Chronos Burst

I shall place my responses to the reviews at the end of this chapter!

* * *

Chapter 8: A Mysterious Encounter

* * *

"Master Voltaire, I demand an explanation for this mishap! Master Voltaire!" 

"You!" Boris sputtered. "I will not have you address our leader in such a manner!"

A man with dark, red hair and deep-set eyes was knocking very loudly on the large, ornate doors leading into Voltaire's office. At the same time, Boris stood firm, barring the stranger's path by effectively preventing him from being able to reach the door handles.

To anyone else, this red-haired stranger may have seemed like a typical guy you could meet anywhere. However, if one was close enough to get a clear view of his face, he or she would quickly discover that this man was not so ordinary at all. He was not a tall man, but had an intimidating gaze, intensely observing everything around him. He wore a white t-shirt, ripped across the sleeves, with a short, black vest. Numerous zig-zag shaped scars covered his arms, which were obscured only slightly by thin, black wristbands. The long, black cloak he carried hung limply from his arm, and draped over his worn jeans and sneakers, torn and caked with dirt.

"Step aside, ingrate. I desire an audience with your master."

That said, the mysterious visitor shoved Boris clear away from the door, and let himself through.

* * *

The sun was setting and a light breeze was rushing coolly across town, permeating the scents of spice and oil throughout the calm, night air. Strands of spiky, blonde hair were swept across Max's face, as he perused the stores and restaurants on his own. He strolled casually down the street, examining the sugary candies as well as the shiny, new beyblade parts. In one window, a green bit chip caught Max's eye and he lost himself in thought, as he recalled a time when he, too had an ordinary, green bit chip. He reached into a pocket of his overalls and retrieved his beyblade. 

"Draciel. . ."

For a split second, a gentle, green light danced across Max's bit chip and the image of his bitbeast, a grey and purple turtle, emanated a slight glow. Max could feel the warmth of Draciel's aura in his grasp, a sign of reassurance from his familiar and constant companion. Before he knew it, the light was gone and so was the warmth, both dissipating as quickly as they had arrived.

Max smiled and closed his eyes, placing his beyblade back into his pocket. Draciel had assisted him through many battles, and so had his teammates. He looked up to them all: Kai, Ray, Tyson and Kenny. Kai always seemed so mature and unshakeable, while Ray was both kind and gentle, but strong at the same time. Tyson was a bit on the obnoxious side, but he was willing to do anything for his friends; and Kenny, although often overlooked, always provided everyone with a sort of strong back-up support with his immense knowledge of beyblading.

Max continued walking as the wind picked up and rustled his hair while he moved forward. He arrived at a street corner and was waiting for the light to change when he thought he saw a white scarf get whisked around the corner of a building on the other side of the street.

"Kai?"

As soon as the light changed, Max dashed across the street and ran towards the alley where he saw the scarf. Once he heard the faint, grinding sound coming from just around the corner, he knew for certain what he would find. Gingerly, he peeked around the side of the concrete wall, but all he could see was a blue blur rushing towards him. . .

"Max. . ."

Max winced as he was thrown backwards onto the concrete, the blue beyblade narrowly missing his forehead. A second later, he found himself face to face with Kai, who had apparently tackled him to the ground. Max raised his glance and was met by cold, crimson eyes, glaring at him for what seemed to be more than a minute. In truth though, it was only seconds that Max lay still on the pavement, watching silently as Kai turned away to retrieve Dranzer. The blue-haired boy grunted, then resumed training in the darkened alleyway.

"Kai?" Max brought himself to his feet. "Sorry. . . I guess I kinda got in the way there, huh?"

Kai stood quietly as he brought Dranzer into a grind along the edge of a rusty dumpster. Although he seemed to be paying no heed to his teammate's words, Max knew that he was probably listening anyway. Reaching into his pocket, Max pulled out Draciel, chuckling as he recalled all of those times when Kai's nonchalant, introverted stance had aggravated Tyson to no end.

"Hey, I'll train with you!" Max exclaimed, as he launched Draciel onto the edge of the dumpster beside Dranzer. With that, Kai reversed his beyblade's trajectory and started to push Max's green blade along the dumpster's lid. Dranzer withdrew a few inches, after which Kai proceeded to knock Draciel onto the pavement. Max laughed.

"Let's go, Draciel! Fortress Defence!"

"Hnn." Kai sighed, and commanded Dranzer to slide off the lid to attempt an aerial attack on Draciel. Draciel dodged smoothly, then began to pursue Dranzer, which had landed at an angle about a meter away. Recovering before Max could launch an attack, the blue beyblade circled, then initiated a series of angular strikes toward Draciel's defensive barrier.

* * *

"Mmmm! This. . .is. . .so. . .delicious!" Tyson exclaimed between bites of food. "Bring on the fourth dish, please!" 

Ray laughed and delicately lifted a small helping of white rice into his chopsticks. Exasperated, Kenny grabbed Tyson's empty plate and placed it on top of their growing pile of dishes. He sighed and checked their receipt at the edge of the table, which already had listed more than ten items.

"Tyson, don't you think you've had enough?" Kenny asked, as the waiter placed a bowl of hot noodles in front of Tyson.

"Mmmm! I can't get enough of this!" Tyson mumbled as he slurped a spoonful of soup. "It's so tasty!"

"Haha. . . coming from Tyson, that statement is pretty much obsolete!" Ray smiled. "Though I'll have to admit that they do have pretty good spiced pork here."

"But what about the bill?"

"No worries, Chief!" Tyson grinned. "I have a membership discount here, so it's cool!"

"You actually _bought _a membership? You _do_ realize that we're only here for the next month, right?"

"Yeah, of course." Tyson continued munching. "But since I started coming here a lot, the manager decided to give me one for free!"

"Well that figures. I'll bet you're giving him even more business than all the locals here do. . . combined!"

"In any case," Ray added, "it's a good thing that dim sum is relatively inexpensive. I'm sure Max would have. . ."

Ray's face fell, worry apparent in his expression.

"Hey Chief," inquired Tyson. "Where is Max? He hasn't returned to the lab, and I haven't seen him all day!"

"I'm worried. . ." Ray continued. "It's not like him to go off on his own somewhere."

"Oh, Max told me yesterday that he had some errands to run," Kenny stated proudly, since it was now apparent that Max had told him, and only him, what his plans were. "So he's probably busy."

"Say, do you think that perhaps he ran into Mr. Sourpants on his way?"

"Tyson. . ." Ray sighed.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen him in three days."

"Well that's just like him! Who does he think he is, going off without telling us when we have a _mission _at hand?"

"He'll be fine," Ray answered, his smile returning. "Kai's pretty tough, so wherever he is, I'm sure he'll manage. I'm actually more worried about Max, though. . ."

* * *

After several minutes of exchanging blows, Max called back Draciel and Kai did likewise, catching Dranzer smoothly in his outstretched hand. 

"Not bad at all." Kai's gaze softened a bit.

"Yeah!" Max grinned widely. "You pulled some pretty smooth moves back there!" He collapsed against the wall behind him, breathing heavily from fatigue. "Thanks, Kai."

Max glanced up towards his teammate, who seemed to be quite distracted all of a sudden.

"Kai. . .are you okay?"

Kai turned abruptly, as if he had heard something behind him. Max felt something too, and began to scan back and forth down the alley. A chill ran down his spine, causing him to shiver. Kai looked upward – towards the roof of the building, where he saw a shadowy figure looming over them. Max followed Kai's gaze and caught a glimpse of a somewhat familiar-looking silhouette. 'Could it be. . .' he thought, before settling back against the wall. Kai's eyes narrowed.

"Tala."

* * *

End of chapter 08 

Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated.

I know it was a bit of a slow chapter, probably the most uneventful one so far, but I saw an opportunity to insinuate some subtle character developments. Once again, your feedback is very helpful here!

And here is some feedback for my kind reviewers!

Dear **Sholay: **Thank you so much for your support, and for leaving reviews for each chapter! After my several year hiatus, you were my first new reader and first new reviewer too, so I am very thankful for that. Also, here are the answers to the questions you posed in the reviews (listed by chapter).

#1: Yup, I agree with you that the dialogue in chapter one was not the best, so I updated with a new version of that chapter (which you also kindly reviewed – thanks!). As for my portrayal of Voltaire, I imagined him to be a sort of cunning, controlling evil mastermind who isn't particularly aggressive himself, but rather gets other people to do his dirty work for him. But a more violent interpretation of Voltaire also makes sense, too. Come to think of it, he could have quite a variety of different portrayals – it's all up to the writer's prerogative!

#2: Those details are a secret for now. . . but it looks like we both agree on Tyson's character!

#3: Yep, Erika will eventually have her role to play. . .as for her name, it's quite common for people of Chinese ethnicity to have non-Chinese names, especially in multicultural places such as the U.S. Even in China and Hong Kong, people often adopt English names that they use when learning to speak English! In terms of her looks, I originally avoided describing too much because I was I was concerned that it would bore readers! However, I might consider revising if I decide to update a new version of this chapter.

#4: Kai was actually training Erika as a favor to his team, as well as out of curiosity. If I release a new version of this chapter, I will try to make that more clear. My original intent (4 years ago) was to develop Erika and Amy gradually, rather than simply describing everything about them outright. I believe this will create a stronger impression in the end, what do you think?

#5: This is also a chapter that could use some revision in order to be more cohesive (and it seemed so good 4 years ago!), but anyways, Sephoracle's time-altering abilities are needed to power the time capsule, which is pretty much the only reason why Emily wants Erika to be trained.

#6: The crisis simulation was created to train Erika, so technically Ray and Tyson aren't supposed to do anything. In any case though, a tiger claw attack probably isn't going to break their fall and Tyson would be too hysterical to ask Dragoon to create a cushion of wind. However, there are other issues about the crisis simulation that will be addressed in later chapters. . .

#7: I'm glad you noticed some development in Erika! That means I'm doing my job. Haha. . .and "super spinners" are actually based on beyblade knock-offs that I've seen at the dollar store! They have such crazy names and packaging slogans, I couldn't resist making a reference to them. I always laugh when I imagine the look on Kai's face at the end of that chapter! Anyways, take care and I shall be reviewing the latest chapters of _Sooryavansham _very soon!

Dear **Mei Kimari: **Yay! My second new reviewer! I really appreciate you taking the time to read my fic. I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter!

* * *

It looks like all my previous readers (from 4 years ago) have moved on, so it's time to establish a new reader/fan base! If you know of anyone who might enjoy this fic, I would appreciate very, very much if any of you could recommend it to them! 'Cause it's sad to post a chapter that goes unnoticed xx 

Again, a very big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and review! It's much appreciated, and I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! Reviews give me good motivation for writing new chapters. . . (hint hint)


End file.
